My dissertation, “Un saludo cordial: Intellectual Musical Theater and Political Voice of the Uruguayan Murga” is a study of a component of Uruguayan Carnaval, the murga. Murgas are groups of popular musical theater actors and singers who perform on neighborhood makeshift stages during the months of Carnaval. It is the most political component of Uruguayan Carnaval, and one in which the whole community is involved. Specifically, it focuses on the evolution of these groups during and after the military dictatorship through now, and how and why it is still a relevant component of Uruguayan popular culture today. Other research interests include issues of identity and myths in the Southern Cone, literature and film from the dictatorship period in Argentina and Uruguay, 20th - 21st Century Latin American literature, literature and film from the Civil War period in Spain. I am very passionate about my teaching, which focuses on communivative learning and employs an interdisciplinary approach. I have won a Teaching in Excellence award for my classroom practices and excellent evaluations. As a Latina scholar, I prioritize issues of diversity in the classroom. I make a point to include a range of diverse voices and perspectives in the classroom. I am currently in Uruguay doing research for my dissertation thanks to two grants from Boston University. Supervisors: Alicia Borinsky and Rodrigo Lopes de Barros
Resumen En términos simples, la murga es un componente del Carnaval uruguayo, pero en realidad es... more Resumen En términos simples, la murga es un componente del Carnaval uruguayo, pero en realidad es mucho más: es teatro, es música, es identidad, es mito, es crítica política, es la voz del pueblo. Una murga es un grupo de teatro musical popular que canta y actúa en los tablados de los barrios durante el Carnaval de Montevideo (enero-marzo). Es una de las categorías oficiales del Carnaval de la actualidad, junto con las comparsas de candombe, los parodistas, los humoristas y las revistas, y es el componente más políticamente subversivo del Carnaval. La murga critica, satiriza y cuestiona a la sociedad, a los políticos, y las situaciones constantemente, pero nunca se autodefine como política ni teórica. Simplemente es una forma de arte popular, que a pesar de que un sector pequeño, mayormente el sector rico y conservador, la considere poco culta, tiene un nivel intelectual elevado en muchos de sus exponentes. Es una manera de llevar los asuntos que afectan a la mayoría a la masa popular, a los tablados que se llenan todas las noches de Carnaval. Este artículo postula resumir la historia del Carnaval uruguayo y la murga, al igual que hacer un análisis de textos de dos murgas de dos épocas diferentes. Palabras clave Murga – Carnaval – Cultura popular – Teatro popular – Performance. Abstract Murga is, in its simplest terms, popular musical theater of Uruguayan Carnival, but in reality it is much more than this. It is theater, music, identity, myth, political criticism; it is the voice of the people. The murga is a group of popular musical theater whose members sing and act on various tablados –neighborhood makeshift stages– and it is the most political component of Uruguayan Carnival. The murga criticizes, satirizes and questions society, politicians and situations constantly, but it never defines itself as political nor theoretical. It is simply a form of popular art. It is a way to take the issues, which affect everyone, to the masses, to the tablados which are filled every night of Carnaval. During the dictatorship, which brought with it censorship of every sort, murgas were censored just like all artistic endeavors. However, murgas were able to subvert the censorship of their lyrics, permitting them to criticize the outrages and crimes of the government with the music itself. Although the political situation has now changed dramatically, the murga is still a necessary element of Uruguayan socio-political discourse. This article aims to summarize the history of Carnival in Uruguay and specifically the murga, as well as to analyze song lyrics from historically important shows from two different eras.
Resumen En términos simples, la murga es un componente del Carnaval uruguayo, pero en realidad es... more Resumen En términos simples, la murga es un componente del Carnaval uruguayo, pero en realidad es mucho más: es teatro, es música, es identidad, es mito, es crítica política, es la voz del pueblo. Una murga es un grupo de teatro musical popular que canta y actúa en los tablados de los barrios durante el Carnaval de Montevideo (enero-marzo). Es una de las categorías oficiales del Carnaval de la actualidad, junto con las comparsas de candombe, los parodistas, los humoristas y las revistas, y es el componente más políticamente subversivo del Carnaval. La murga critica, satiriza y cuestiona a la sociedad, a los políticos, y las situaciones constantemente, pero nunca se autodefine como política ni teórica. Simplemente es una forma de arte popular, que a pesar de que un sector pequeño, mayormente el sector rico y conservador, la considere poco culta, tiene un nivel intelectual elevado en muchos de sus exponentes. Es una manera de llevar los asuntos que afectan a la mayoría a la masa popular, a los tablados que se llenan todas las noches de Carnaval. Este artículo postula resumir la historia del Carnaval uruguayo y la murga, al igual que hacer un análisis de textos de dos murgas de dos épocas diferentes. Palabras clave Murga – Carnaval – Cultura popular – Teatro popular – Performance. Abstract Murga is, in its simplest terms, popular musical theater of Uruguayan Carnival, but in reality it is much more than this. It is theater, music, identity, myth, political criticism; it is the voice of the people. The murga is a group of popular musical theater whose members sing and act on various tablados –neighborhood makeshift stages– and it is the most political component of Uruguayan Carnival. The murga criticizes, satirizes and questions society, politicians and situations constantly, but it never defines itself as political nor theoretical. It is simply a form of popular art. It is a way to take the issues, which affect everyone, to the masses, to the tablados which are filled every night of Carnaval. During the dictatorship, which brought with it censorship of every sort, murgas were censored just like all artistic endeavors. However, murgas were able to subvert the censorship of their lyrics, permitting them to criticize the outrages and crimes of the government with the music itself. Although the political situation has now changed dramatically, the murga is still a necessary element of Uruguayan socio-political discourse. This article aims to summarize the history of Carnival in Uruguay and specifically the murga, as well as to analyze song lyrics from historically important shows from two different eras.
Uploads
Papers by Franca Roibal